Representatives from Students Against Israeli Apartheid recently sat down with York administration to discuss the SAIA rally that occurred earlier this year, which resulted in their club status being revoked until January 2014.
The meeting with administration, which took place August 7 in the President’s Office, followed a
York University Board of Governors meeting on June 24, during which members of the Board walked out after SAIA members attempted to engage them in a discussion.
At the June 24 meeting, SAIA delivered a communication to the chair of the Board, which was read aloud by a student Board member. The board was then advised by the speaker that the document, which contained demands from SAIA, be drawn to the president’s attention.
Once the first page of the statement was read, individuals from SAIA attempted to engage the board in a conversation, expressing concerns about York’s alleged investments in weapons manufacturing companies and the sanctions imposed on their club.
“SAIA members had violated meeting protocol and the chair’s repeated requests to follow protocol were not met. The members of the board then walked out and continued their meeting in a closed setting, according to Rider.”
The incident was recorded via mobile phone, uploaded to You- Tube, and circulated amongst various social networking platforms.
SAIA’s club status was revoked following a March 27 rally after which a student complaint was received by the York University Office of Student Conflict Resolution that academic activity was disrupted by a SAIA rally in Vari Hall.
Rider says that the matter was referred to a local adjudicator and a resolution was achieved between the parties.
According to Huda Al Sarraj, a member of SAIA, the adjudicator found there to be no academic disruption.
A statement from SAIA, provided by member Dan O’Hara, said members took very precise, word-for-word notes at the meeting. According to SAIA, the adjudicator said, “I didn’t find that there was a breach. I think that what the student was complaining about was fair, but I didn’t think that it met that threshold of disruptive activity. I didn’t find a formal breach.”
York officials, however, state: “It is false that the adjudicator found there to be no academic disruption. In fact, academic activities were disrupted which is in violation of University policy. “
The university also notes that members of SAIA were warned verbally and in writing that they were in violation of a contract signed by the club, stating that it would abide by all university policies.
The same day SAIA’s club status was officially revoked on May 3, SAIA activist and York alumnus Hammam Farah was also banned from York property due to “repeated disruption of academic activities.”
“SAIA claims adjudicator ruled no breach.”
Al Sarraj commented on this past summer’s meetings: “What York is currently portraying is that they treat alumni like outsiders who come on private property.”
Earlier this month, a total of 125 York faculty members signed a statement addressed to Shoukri, as well as to Janet Morrison, vice-provost of students, and Gary Brewer, vice-president of finance and administration, expressing their concerns about civil liberties on campus. The statement cited an earlier statement made by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association who also came out in support of SAIA.
The statement called on York administration to restore SAIA’s full rights as a student club, to withdraw the trespass notice against Farah, and to amend the Student Code of Conduct and the Temporary Use of Student Space Policy to “recognize the legitimate right of peaceful assembly on campus by members of the […] community.”
SAIA has also been gathering support for their reinstatement as a student club through an online petition which has collected 1,363 signatures thus far.
Hamid Adem
News Editor
